Power washing machine



5, 1935- L. F. DUCKER 1,990,272

POWER WASHING MACHINE Filed Feb. 9, 1953 gsheets snetl ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Feb. 5, 1935. F. DUCKE R f 1,990,272

POWER WASHING MACHINE I Fil ed Feb. 9, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR ATTO RN EYS Patented Feb. 5, 1935 1,990,272

UNITED.) STATES PATENT OFFICE POWER WASHING MACHINE Louis F. Ducker, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor of ten per cent to Charles R. Duhlmeier, Cincinnati, Ohio Application February 9, 1933, Serial No. 655,975 4 Claims. (Cl. 259-144) This invention relates to improvements in having a downwardly flaring rim to give it the washing machines primarily for household or necessary rigidityas well as adding ornamental domestic service'and particularly to the strucvalue to the structure, The bottom of the tub ture of the impeller and the mechanism for opand table are each formed with a depressed boss erating the impeller. nested together to form an outwardly extending 5' An object of the invention is to provide an nipple 7 to which a tub draining faucet 8 is impeller for washing machines preferably sphersecured. ical in structure with a plurality of correspond- An impeller 9 is journalled centrally within ingly shaped and equally spaced vanes or blades the tub upon a vertical journal sleeve 10 fixed radiating from the sphere periphery in meridto the bottom of the tub and to the table and pro- 10 ian lines thereon, and tapering toward the opjecting downwardly therethrough. The journal posite poles to impart, when the impeller is in sleeve is provided with an annular flange 11 which motion, a turbulent, whirling motion to the water seats and clamps against the inner side of the or contents of the washing machine tub unitube bottom and is rigidly secured by a nut 12 formly in a plane circumferentially about the screw-threaded upon the journal sleeve and bear- 15 impeller and more violent or harsher in a plane ing against the under side of the table. midway of the impeller or the height of the This method, aside from rigidly supporting the contents of the tub and from which the influence journal sleeve, provides for making a water tight of the vanes varies and diminishes toward and joint. subdues at the opposite ends of the sphere. The impeller comprises a spherical shell, pref- Another object of the invention is to improve erably of a non-corrosive metal having a counterthe construction of the washing machine impeller bored hub 13 interior and integral therewith teleand to compound its motion giving it oscillatory scopically engaged over the journal sleeve 10 and motion on a vertical axis and reciprocal axially. keyed to a vertical shaft 14, journalled within the Another object of the invention is to provide bore of the sleeve and engaged therethrough, the a simple, efficient, and compact transmission for shaft having a shouldered engagement with the operating an impeller simultaneously in oscilhub within the bore thereof and clamped thereto lating and reciprocating motions and imparting. by a nut 15 screw-threaded upon the upper end the motion through a shaft extending vertically of the shaft, the nut bearing against the upper into the tub and through the bottom thereof. end of the shell. The upper end of the shaft Other features and advantages of the invenwithin a reduced diameter portion of the bore of tion will be more fully set forth in the descripthe hub is castellated or longitudinally grooved tion of the accompanying drawings in which: for keying the same to the hub to rotatively couple Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved the shaft to the shell. washing machine with a portion of the top of the The shell preferably is provided with a plutub and tub cover broken away to exhibit the ralityof uniformly spaced radial vanes or blades oscillatory and vertically reciprocating spherical disposed as in meridian lines vertically and taperimpeller or gyrator centrally within the tub. ing toward the opposite poles of the shell for gy- Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2, Figure 1. rating the contents of the tub in alternate or Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, diverse directions when oscillating the shell, the

ure impellment of the contents being horizontal and Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 4-4, intermediate of the top and bottom of the: tub Fi ure 2. forcing the water or washing outwardly away Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 2. from the impeller and due to the tapering form Referring to the drawings 1 indicates a tub of the vanes or blades imparts a more subdued 5 preferably of cylindrical form rounded at the tone action toward the poles of the shell avoidjuncture of the base 2 and annular side wall with ing upward splashing of the water from the upper an inwardly overhanging curved or rolled shaped side and avoids injury or rubbing action upon rim 3 terminating with an annular horizontal the washing which may lodge beneath the imflange or ledge for supporting a cover 4. The peller or be engaged thereby, the impeller being tub is supported upon and secured to a table 5, vertically reciprocated as well as oscillated. the table having legs 6, preferably four in num- Thespherical shape of the lower end of the her, and the legs at their lower ends carrying impeller in a downward stroke or motion of the castors.,, V impeller imparts an outward pressure forcing or The table preferably 5 of sheet metal form expressing the wash goods away from the axis of the impeller leaving no opportunity for the goods clogging or otherwise impairing the operation of the impeller, or injury to the goods.

In an operation of the machine,' the tub is filled with wash water and laundry to a level which will at least submerge the lower half. or section of the impeller when in its lowermost position. The vanes of the impeller in an oscillating motion and the convex lower section of the impeller in a vertical reciprocating motion impel the wash water alternately in relatively transverse direction, producing a turbulent water which washes out the soil from the detergent treated fibers of the laundry and keeps ,the laundry in motion. The vanes extending radially from the, spherical shell, or convex upper and lower sections, and

tapering toward the poles thereof produce relatively different effects due to the varying degree of arc of movement for their linear measurement, as the point closest to the center moving the least and variable in width resulting from its tapering construction sweeps a greater area at the wider portion.

The impeller is actuated by a transmission mechanism housed within a casing 16 fixed to and depending from the under side of the table completely enclosing the transmission gearing for rotating and reciprocating the shaft 14 in a lubricant tight compartment from which there is no opportunity for the lubricant to be conveyed or carried into the tub owing tothe vertical position and upstanding height of the journal sleeve within the tub.

1'1 indicates a worm shaft horizontally journalled in ball bearings mounted in a bracket 18 dependingly secured to the under side of the table and within the casing 16. One end of the shaft extends beyond, one of the journals in said bracket and has a sprocket wheel 17* keyed thereon. The

sprocket wheel 1"! has an extended hub engaged through and joumalled in a bearing fiang'e formed in the .tron casing with the sprocket wheel exterior of the ton' casing and housed within a guard or casing 19 fixed to the exterior side of the tron casing. The

guard or cover 19 also encloses a second sprocket wheel 20 and a chain connecting the sprocket wheels 19 and 20. The sprocket wheel 20 is fixed upon the end of a motor shaft to an electric motor 21 mounted upon the exterior of the tron casing 18.

22 indicates an electric switch fixed upon the tub and rim of the table for motor circuit control. The worm of the-worm shaft 1'! is in mesh with a worm wheel 23, housed within the bracket 18 and keyed to a shaft 24 iournalled in bearings mounted in the bracket 18. A crank wheel 25 is fixed to one end of the shaft 24carrying a crank pin 28 connecting with a pitman or link 2'1. The opposite end of the pitman or link 2'1 connects a rest pin extending from a collar 28 swivelled upon the lower end of the impeller shaft 14 and sustained by an anti-friction bearing 29 confined upon the shaft by a washer or head 30 fixed to the end of the shaft. A crank arm 31 is keyed upon the impeller shaft 14 abovethe collar 18 and bearing against an anti-friction bearing 32 about the shaft 14 intermediate the collar 28 and arm 31. The outer end of the crank 31 journals a ,roller as riding within an inclined slot or guide impeller.

The inclination of the elongated slot or. guideway 34 as the impeller shaft and its crank arm 31 are reciprocated vertically shifts the crank arm 31 thereby oscillating the shaft with each revolution of the crank wheel. The impeller therefore is continuously oscillated, raised and lowered within the tub and this compound action of the impeller distributes a gyrating or whirling influence uniformly to the batchor contents within the tub and to a degree spirally.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a tub, a driving shaft exte%ding with the tub fixed upon said shaft, means for simultaneously oscillating and reciprocating said shaft and impeller as a unit, said impeller constituting a spherical shell having a plurality of blades each radially extending from the periphery of the shell along a meridian line thereof, longitudinally tapering toward the opposite poles of the shell and merging with the contour thereof, the blades at a spacing apart for agitating the contents of the tub upon oscillating said impeller about its vertical axis, and the lower hemisphere of the impeller agitating the contents of the tub in directions transversely to that of the blades upon reciprocating said impeller.

2. In a washing machine, a tub, a driving shaft extending inwardly into the tub and an impeller within the tub fixed upon said shaft, means for simultaneously oscillating and reciprocating said shaft and impeller as a unit, said impeller constituting a spherical shell having a plurality of bladeseach radially extending from the periphery of the shell in the direction of its vertical axis and relatively spaced apart for agitating the contents of the tub upon oscillating said impeller about its vertical axis, and the lower hemisphere of the impeller agitating the contents of the tub in directions transversely to that of the blades upon reciprocating said impeller.

8. In a washing machine, a tub, an impeller .1ournalled within the tub to oscillate about and' reciprocate upon a vertical axis, means for simultaneously oscillating and reciprocating said impeller, said impeller constituting a spherical shell having aplurality of blades each radially extending from the periphery of the shell along a meridian line thereof, longitudinally tapering toward the opposite poles of the shell and merging] 4. In a washing machine, a tub, an impeller iournalled within the tub to oscillate about and reciprocate upon a vertical axis, said impeller constituting a spherical shell having a plurality -of blades each radially extending from the periphery' of the shell in a direction of its vertical axis, and longitudinally tapering toward the opposite poles of the shell to merge with the contour thereof, the blades relatively spaced apart 'for agitating the contents of the tub uponoselllating said impeller, and the lower hemisphere of the impeller agitating the contents of the tub ina direction transversely to that of the blades upon reciprocating said impeller.

' LOUIS F. DUCKER.

inwardly into the tub and an impeller 

